Menon, a senior at UH, sings bass for the Moores Concert Chorale. His time with the Chorale has been fruitful, to say the least. Last year, Menon traveled with the group to Europe and performed in the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany.

His parents are from India, but Menon was raised in America. A musician since elementary school, he gravitated to both Western and Eastern compositions. Although he was initially focused on a pharmacy career, his passion for performing led him to Concert Chorale director Betsy Weber’s office. With her encouragement, he joined UH’s choirs.

Although his spiritual background is Hindu, Menon is particularly enthusiastic about sharing “Mass for Double Choir” during this evening’s service.

Creative Pride chatted with Menon to get his take on the performance and learn more about his musical history.

Creative Pride: I understand that this piece is not the easiest to perform.

Saleel Menon: It’s actually one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I’ve been involved with at UH. It’s a great piece.

Martin was highly influenced by composers like DeBussy. The music is very gorgeous but still very difficult. It’s great to listen to and just as wonderful to perform.

Creative Pride: What do you think it will be like to perform this composition with the context of a Catholic mass?

Menon: It offers a sense of realism. We study works like this in music history courses all the time. Works written for masses weren’t written for concert settings. So, participating in an experience that is true to the composer’s work is very cool.

Creative Pride: Do you feel this experience will be special for both Catholic and non-Catholic chorale members?

Menon: Yes. I am not a Catholic, but my involvement with this project is still very spiritual. The music is so profound. Whether I am singing the specific connotation of the words or realizing new meanings, the music stands on its own.

Creative Pride: What sparked your interest in classical music?

Menon: I grew up studying Western classical music. I had piano lessons and studied Beethoven, Mozart and Bach … the titans of Western classical music. In addition to that, my father trained me to sing classical Indian music. He sings Raga.

Martin’s piece is actually a mix of Western and Eastern influences. He uses things like octatonic and pentatonic scales. He was composing works when an awareness of world music was on the rise. You can hear some worldly nuances in his piece.

Creative Pride: When did you start singing with choirs?

Menon: I was in fourth grade. My mother encouraged me to join an after-school choir because I already was studying music. I think I was tone-deaf back then. (Laughing.) By sixth grade, I had a great choir director who worked me me and helped me flourish. From then on, I stayed with choir through high school.

When I enrolled at UH, I was a pre-pharmacy major. I auditioned for UH’s choirs and eventually made it into the Concert Chorale. Dr. Weber has been so great, and I’ve learned so much from her. She really teaches students how powerful students can be.

Creative Pride: Has being a member of Concert Chorale made you a better singer or performer?

Menon: Yes. Dr. Weber has high expectations. She holds her students to very high standards. It’s both frustrating and awesome. Sometimes, we feel that we’re disappointing her, so we push ourselves to do better. Under her direction, we are always trying to do better.

Her leadership also has helped us develop a stronger connection to the music. That’s what makes the Concert Chorale so special. We strive to convey the message of the music as opposed to just singing it. We want to make those musical connections with our audiences.